"A decisive factor in our decision was the confidence we had in Dematic's many years of experience in developing automation solutions for the food service industry and its extensive expertise in the storage of food at low temperatures," explains Andrea Ruffoni, Supply Chain Director at Globalpesca, adding: "We were convinced that Dematic was the right partner for this project, particularly in the area of pallet storage and retrieval machines." Globalpesca S.p.A. is headquartered in Gravellona Toce, northwest of Milan in the Piedmont region. The family-run company can look back on almost 125 years of history.

Increasing requirements due to growth

With the growth of the Italian food service and catering industry, food service companies need to manage increasing order volumes and improve their service levels. Globalpesca recognized that automation can make a decisive contribution to optimizing processes, particularly in two key areas: better planning and control of incoming goods and more efficient storage and replenishment of picking areas.

The new 24-metre-high warehouse building, which is directly adjacent to the Globalpesca distribution center in Gravellona Toce, northwest of Milan, covers an area of around 1,400 square meters. The Dematic solution comprises two RapidStore UL1200 storage and retrieval machines, with space for a further machine for future expansion. The system is complemented by a pallet transport system with BK25 conveyor technology and two Ergopal picking workstations, which can be extended by a third workstation if required. The system comprises a self-supporting structure that meets the special load and temperature requirements of the warehouse. This is already the second temperature-controlled warehouse connected to the distribution center. Installation and commissioning are scheduled for early 2026.

Focus on automation and efficiency

The Italian frozen food specialist aims to automate its operations and increase the efficiency of its processes by enabling more accurate stock tracking. At the same time, the working conditions for employees will be improved, as they will no longer have to enter the -25 °C cold areas and can instead prepare pallets at ergonomically designed workstations.

During the design phase of the project, an Italian Dematic team worked closely with the Globalpesca project team led by Andrea Ruffoni. Together, they examined various scenarios to determine the optimum solution, paying particular attention to future scalability.

According to Mauro Corona, Sales Director of Dematic Italy, the project is an excellent example of successful collaboration: "Dematic's extensive automation expertise and Globalpesca's many years of industry experience came together in a strong partnership to develop an efficient solution that gives Globalpesca a strategic advantage in a challenging business environment."